The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) population in the Atlantic Ocean were seriously decreased as a result of intense hunting during the 19th and the early 20th centuries. In 1946, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial hunting in the North Atlantic. Today, the whale populations are vulnerable to vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing nets. To reduce human-induced whale mortality, numerous mitigation efforts have been implemented by governments in North America. Unfortunately, regulatory efforts to mitigate anthropogenic effects on whales seem to be unsuccessful, according to a recent study. The analysis of four decades of whale deaths shows, that the leading cause of death for whales is still entanglement in fishing equipment, however collisions with ships also kill many whales, while only a third of deaths are natural. This finding is very disappointing and hopefully may provide for modifying current regulations to protect whales.

Source:

Van der Hoop, J. M. et al. (2013). Assessement of Management to Mitigate Anthropogenic Effects on Large Whales. Conservation Biology, 27 (1), 121-133.

I photographed this injured humpback whale in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean in 2010.

Gear: Canon EOS 30D, Canon 70-200mm F/4 lens